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Monthly Archives: August 2016

In a competitive market such as promotional products or marketing, a deep emotional connection to a brand or product is the critical turning point of success. Recently widely publicized, PokemonGo is a perfect example of how an emotional connection to a product and a strong brand influence can go a long way with the success of a project. Deconstructing the framework of success for a product for PokemonGo shows that even without any massive marketing campaigns, a product or app like PokemonGo can have a greater impact based on the content and connection the brand creates.

A Brief History of Pokemon (1998-2016)

Call it luck or coincidence, Pokemon released its first game in 1998, right around when handheld game devices were starting to take the market by storm. Taking advantage of this momentum Pokemon continuously released new games, Pokemon films and other Pokemon themed entertainment aspects in the coming years, which helped instill a strong brand presence in the minds of young children in North America and many other countries around the world. The brand influence carried Pokemon’s success long after better gaming systems came around, mainly because of the core values and experience it injected into the young and growing market since 1998. And that strong brand influence brings us to 2016, where an interactive real world Pokemon experience made players from all ages come back to Pokemon, not only for the re-imagined way of playing, but also for the strong brand image that was still considered fresh in the minds of millions.

Adapting from it’s roots, the integration of an app and smartphone based system was very successful

Reasons for Success

This brand influence allowed PokemonGo to be successful, something which could have been a dud considering the lack of a marketing campaign or even a large announcement for it’s release. Following the theme of many successful projects and apps, the social media presence and word of mouth interaction shot PokemonGo into extreme popularity, combining the initial values and brand identity that has been around since 1998, with a modern re-imagined game design and social media presence which perfectly fits into the aspects of 2016.

The overall proof for PokemonGo’s success in a competitive app and social media based environment strictly stems from the power of the brand and its long lasting influence on customers. Because of the lasting influence on former players over a decade after its original release and the catered influence to a young generation, it broadens its impact and target market while still maintaining a strong brand identity which is the root of its success. The lack of a marketing campaign would be startling to some, though the weight the Pokemon brand carries, along with the adaptation to an app and a smartphone based world all made PokemonGo intent for success.